Africa Site Program Overview & History
Africa Program History
Welcome to the Pickering Energy Solutions Africa Program site. We hope you will enjoy learning about the programs and facilities we have supported in Liberia.
In 2007 and 2008, Charles “Chip” Pickering traveled several times to Phebe Hospital in Bong County, Liberia with Engineering Ministries International. He was traveling with a team that was restoring power to the facility and planning for a water system upgrade. For that project Chip designed the electrical service improvements, raised funding and purchased the electrical switchboard equipment, and returned to install and commission the electrical service equipment.
Solar team with our old Toyota Pickup completing an installation in Bong County
Upon the completion of the project and the installation of the new generators at Phebe Hospital, the Liberian Minister of Health, Dr. Gwenigale, and his assistant, Mr. William Martin, asked us to develop a program of solar power for lighting, power and vaccination refrigeration for the remote clinics in Liberia.
He began in 2009 with 19 donated refrigerators and two solar systems and started training some of the maintenance workers at Phebe Hospital in Bong County on how to install, operate and maintain PV systems. Since that time he developed a standardized installation package for basic clinics which is expandable as they move to 24 hour operations, pump water, introduced maternity services and begin operating laboratories.
Dr. Gwenigale and Chip Pickering, 2018
In 2012 Chip formed Pickering Energy Solutions to provide solar power systems in the US and to provide a framework for our work in Liberia. In 2014, partnering with Robert Peirce, Brother’s Brother Foundation and Partner Liberia, we began installing solar systems for orphanages and schools around Liberia in addition to clinics. These larger systems require more complex operation and integration. At that time we also began to focus on the sustainability of our systems—providing training for the operators and service personnel as well as providing spare parts and battery replacement. Additionally, as the systems are aging we are beginning to see the need for battery replacement, so we are planning for battery upgrades and other preventative maintenance in our future plans.
As we have developed networks and relationships with our funding and logistical partners, we are able to extend our operations and effectiveness in Liberia. We currently have 62 solar systems installed and operating in Liberia. These systems are comprised of small and large solar systems for clinics, hospitals, orphanages, schools, missionary residences and other facilities.
Because the cost of operating generators for hospitals and other critical care areas is very expensive and becoming increasingly difficult to fund for the Ministry of Health (MOH) we have begun offering larger solar systems in order to pick up the ER, OR, ICU and CCU areas and laboratory areas which require conditioned air and higher quality power. Our initial provisions of renewable power for hospitals were at the new Oniyama and CB Dunbar hospitals (for their emergency rooms and/or operating galleries) to provide renewable energy and reliable backup power for these facilities.
Current Program Status
As of September 2023 we have 80 solar systems operating in Liberia, the vast majority being community clinics managed by the Ministry of Health. Of these here are 4 Orphanages, located primarily in Monrovia and Buchanan. Our Hospital installations include Phebe Hospital (25 kWp), Curran Hospital (25 kWp), CB Dunbar (8 kWp) and recently our latest at JF Doe hospital (8 kW). Hospital systems include the Emergency Rooms, Operating Rooms, ICU, Critical Care and Neo-natal intensive care units. OR/ER/ICU/CCU/NICU facilities. We have also supported private and NGO hospitals and clinics, as well as the Suakoko Leprosy Recovery Center.
We have established an ongoing support program which provides batteries, maintenance and other operating support for these systems. Most of these solar systems are on community clinics managed by the local communities through the Ministry of Health. There are also 5 Orphanages, several schools, and 3 hospitals being supported as well. These hospital systems provide critical power to operate their laboratories and OR/ER/ICU/CCU/NICU facilities. We have also supported private and NGO hospitals and clinics, as well as the Suakoko Leprosy Recovery Center.
Our ‘new’ Toyota Land Cruiser.
Our Toyota Land Cruiser using its winch to pull the truck containing our solar equipment in Lofa County in September, 2019.
Currently the Ministry of Health directs the solar priorities among their clinics, hospitals and blood distribution facilities. We have been moving out of Bong County into neighboring counties near Bong County. To date we have installed solar power systems in 8 of the 13 counties in Liberia.
We operate our Africa program as a not-for-profit program of giving back. We pay our own travel expenses, support educational programs for our team and strive to be good stewards of the donated dollars to our program. As the Chinese proverb indicates (somewhat paraphrased) “we are planting the trees that our children will sit under”.
Team meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Health, March, 2019
Our new warehouse with the team troubleshooting and replacing components to repair a damaged solar system.
Africa Program Partners
Our program has grown and developed over time and has become increasingly more successful as we were introduced to and started work with more and more strategic partners. We are pleased to be able to introduce the following members of our team:
Partner Liberia has been an integral part of our medical and orphanage program since 2013. Our first installations with Partner Liberia were for orphanages in and around Monrovia, and our program has since expanded to schools and now their new signature hospital, Oniyama Teaching Hospital.
Global Health Ministries in Minneapolis has been providing logistics for us since 2013, shipping materials to Phebe Hospital and providing other logistical and financial support.
Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) The nonprofit Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) and its subsidiary solar engineering and installation company, REAL Solar, is located in north central Minnesota. Since its inception in 2000, RREAL has done work throughout the United States with community action agencies and internationally in Uganda and Liberia, but its emphasis is on serving low income communities in rural Minnesota as a solar developer, contractor, and educator – often in partnership with Native American Tribes, Habitat for Humanity affiliates, and local school districts.
Robert Peirce and the Peirce Family Foundation has been supporting our program since 2013, initially funding orphanages and schools through Partner Liberia and finally providing an introduction and catalyst for our partnership with Brother’s Brother Foundation.
Brother’s Brother Foundation began funding our clinic program in 2014, and is currently our largest funder. Brother’s Brother has provided 52 solar systems in Liberia in many counties, and several of these systems are either in transit or are in our warehouse in Liberia, queued for delivery.
Appalachian Renewable Power has made a huge impact on our program development and training. They have taught us to take the equipment apart and repair it and are constantly refining our Africa team’s ability to understand and optimize the equipment that we provide. Gary Easton and Keri Dunn are the backbone of our development team.
We have also received financial support and encouragement from Bruce Moilan, the First United Methodist Church in Williamstown, WV, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Zonta International, Rotary International and a myriad of small personal donations.
To everyone that has contributed to this program—thank you—these photos document the results of all of our efforts.
Current Program Status:
As of November, 2019 we have 66 solar systems operating in Liberia, the vast majority being community clinics managed by the Ministry of Health. There are a few Orphanages, located primarily in Monrovia and Buchanan, a few hospital systems operating their laboratories and OR/ER/ICU/CCU/NICU facilities. We have also supported private and NGO hospitals and clinics, as well as the Suakoko Leprosy Recovery Center.
For details on our installed systems you can download our latest copy of our Solar Program Overview here.
Finally, if you are interested in supporting this program or if you know of a need in Liberia that we can support please feel free to contact us through our contact portal or any of the foundations listed above.
To find out more about our current projects, see our site on Facebook or contact us below.
Thank you
Charles L “Chip” Pickering, Ph D, PE
